1. Scope of Invention
This invention relates generally to electronic billing systems, and more particularly to an integrated internet based or facilitated system for billing, data processing and communication.
2. Prior Art
The traditional approach to billing for services rendered includes the requirement that the business purchase hardware and software as well as trained personnel to perform the billing function. The obvious advantage of this approach is total control over the data and its security. Drawbacks inherent in this approach, however, include a substantial equipment and set-up cost and on-going system maintenance and salary for personnel with sufficient expertise to operate and manage such a traditional system.
The next major developmental step in accomplishing this function has been to outsource such billing and accounting activity. This approach has gained in popularity as it avoids the need for expensive hardware, software and personnel costs. However, the loss of control of the data and the inability to have real time access thereto has led to sluggish entry, billing and reporting of data.
One patented system invented by Evans and disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,924,074 discloses an electronic medical records system involving a point of care system and a patient data repository which is primarily directed to the processing and analysis of patient care data and other additional functions related to data access and its manipulation for diagnosis purposes.
The following additional recent computer software-related inventions are known to applicants:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,696,906 to Peters et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,397 to Ogawa et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,790,548 to Sistanizadeh et al.
U S. Pat. No. 5,832,460 to Bednar et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,884,284 to Peters, et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,847 to Kolling et al.
However, none of this known prior art brings together the best of the traditional approaches while taking advantage of current advances in computer software and hardware technologies. The present invention avoids the need to purchase expensive equipment or to maintain personnel or infrastructure for billing of services while providing real time access to stored data via an internet service provider (ISP). By utilizing thin client technology for direct access subscribers, encryption, authentication, fire walls and other security measures, as well as open based compliant (ODBC) databases allowing browser-based subscribers seamless integration with other server applications of the system, substantial gains and improvements unobvious or untaught in prior art are available to subscribers.
A number of recently available technologies in the computer software and internet arena have contributed to making the present invention a reality. One such advance is known as xe2x80x9cthin client technologyxe2x80x9d or the use of narrow band width for transferring data via phone modem lines. Wide band widths made data transfer very slow in comparison to thin client transfers. In thin client technology which will be used by direct access subscribers, the software applications are installed and run on the database server and computer activity, installations and upgrades which are controlled from a central point. All that is transferred to the subscriber""s computer is a screen which responds to their input at the remote location. This is sometimes referred to as a xe2x80x9cscreen picturexe2x80x9d.
Another important internet-related technology is the xe2x80x9cCitrix(copyright)xe2x80x9d system which allows a network subscriber on Windows or non-Windows machines to run Windows applications on a database server. The actual applications are executed on the server, the subscriber""s machines merely acting as terminals used only for entering subscriber input and displaying application output. The Citrix(copyright) systems thus facilitate the thin client technology.
Another related internet-based improvement utilized by the present invention is that of xe2x80x9cseamlessxe2x80x9d integrations wherein a remote subscriber can link via modem and an ISP from a remote computer and still have access to the speed and power of the database server. The remote computer does not need to be state-of-the-art, as it serves only as a terminal. The remote computer can range from a 386/486 PC to a current state-of-the-art PC and/or may use non-Windows operating systems such as DOS(copyright), Macintosh(copyright) or UNIX(copyright). The present invention is particularly adapted to browser-based computer subscribers which are facilitated in this regard by open database compliant software (ODBC) which facilitates the seamless integration with other applications to expand the processing and analysis function of the present invention. Normally, subscribers using Windows based computers have traditionally performed poorly over wide area networks (WAN). This poor performance may be attributed to the way the programs are written so as to take full advantage of upper memory areas and fast processors. When using these programs on a network, each new direction from keyboard or mouse results in all those files necessary to perform that function being transferred across the network. The end result is very slow response unless the programs reside on the local computers as well as on the database servers at substantial additional expense. With the invention, no new software is required to be installed, no new hardware is required to be purchased and connection is made at normal modem speed.
All of these technologies incorporated into the invention are interrelated to facilitate access to high powered database servers and software and applications contained thereon without the need for the expense of computer replacement, additional employees or new software at the remote site.
This invention is directed to a database server and/or a Citrix(copyright)-type direct access server electronically interconnected between said database server and a plurality of subscribers. A home page of a website of the system provides access to the servers by a plurality of subscribers. The home page provides secure access by each subscriber to each of a plurality of subscriber areas within the system. Subscribers will access the database through the internet via either thin client technology and the Citrix(copyright) server or via browser-based forms processing. Both methods will access the database server. Data entered via forms processing is transferred into the database server which utilizes appropriate application software therein to produce billing invoices and statements to clients and customers of each corresponding browser-based subscriber. The proprietary database will then produce billing invoices and statements to clients of each corresponding browser-based subscriber.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an integrated internet facilitated billing, data processing and communications system for browser-based computer subscribers without the need for them to purchase additional software and equipment expense.
It is another object of this invention to provide an integrated internet facilitated billing, data processing and communications system for direct access subscribers who may not necessarily need to have state-of-the-art PC type computers. Thin client access provides for transfer of billing information in real time between the subscriber and the servers. The subscriber will have instantaneous access to the data and enter data directly into secure subscriber data sets.
It is still another object of this invention to replace the traditional approaches to billing for services rendered without the need for the purchase of expensive state-of-the-art computer software and the hiring of trained personnel.
It is still another object of this invention to utilize recent advances in software and internet related technology in the areas of thin client technology, open database compliant software (ODBC) and seamless integration, and Citrix(copyright) technology.
In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparent hereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.